OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Category: Irish Saints

  • Saint Colman the Thirsty, March 5

     

    We have a most interesting saint commemorated on March 5, whom tradition says was literally a martyr to the monastic rule of Saint Patrick. For Colman the Thirsty sacrificed his life rather than transgress the letter of the law. This extraordinary episode provides Canon O’Hanlon with an opportunity to sound very Victorian on the dangers of ‘habits of intoxication’ and ‘the frequent use of spirituous liquors’ and reminds us of the strong moral component of the Irish national revival:

    St. Colman, surnamed the Thirsty.

    [Supposed to be of the Fifth Century.]

    Obedience is better than sacrifice has often been advanced, as a maxim, by spiritual writers; but, in the present instance, we may discover both virtues, distinctly placed, and yet combined. Colgan assigns the festival of a particular St. Colman, to this day; although, he confesses himself unable to determine such a position, with a full degree of certainty. This saint is thought assignable, to the early period of our Christian history. Still, our national hagiologist seems to err in his conjecture, that the present saint may have been a St. Colman, son of Enan, and a brother to three other saints. Elsewhere, he is of opinion, that the present holy man was one of St. Patrick’s disciples. The Bollandists have some brief notices of him. According to Colgan’s inferences, this Colman was a monk under the rule of St. Patrick. So exact was he, in complying with all things required, that he became a martyr to monastic discipline. Whilst employed with other monks in collecting the harvest, at a place denominated Trian Conchobhuir, one of these called Colman felt extremely thirsty. Although a tub of cold water had been placed in the field, to be used by the labourers; yet, an injunction was issued, that no one should drink from it, until the hour for saying Vespers had passed. Colman’s strength began to fail, however, on account of the intolerable thirst experienced; still, the patient monk did not wish to infringe an established rule. At length, unable to bear this privation, to which he had voluntarily subjected himself, the holy servant yielded up his spirit to the Maker of all things, having sunk on the ground exhausted and lifeless. He was buried at the cross, which had been erected before the newly-built Cathedral Church of Armagh; and, on being consigned to the tomb, in this consecrated spot of ground, much as he no doubt lamented the circumstances attending this death, the Irish Apostle felt gratified, that the body of a saint should repose in his graveyard, as the first fruits of deposition. He is even said to have prophesied, that the church, which was consecrated by such a happy sepulture, should afterwards be prosperous, and should abound in riches and honours. St. Patrick, also, saw the soul of his departed brother ascend to heaven, where it found rest, in company with the martyrs.

    The 5th of March was the Natal day of a St. Colman—probably the present—according to our Irish Martyrologies. At this dale, the Martyrology of Tallagh records a festival in honour of Colman, designated Isirni. Marianus O’Gorman and Charles Maguire record him; but, they neither add time, place, or other circumstances, to identify him. The name of a Saint Colman has been omitted from the published Martyrology of Donegal, at this day; but, the simple name, Colman, has been inserted by the compiler of a table subjoined, with the remark appended, that he had not been noticed in the body of this work. About the year 445 must have been the period for his death, were we to credit Ussher’s statement, that at this date, the foundations of Armagh church were laid. The O’Clerys, however, refer this event, to the year 457. As many bodies, no doubt, were early interred within the cemetery of Armagh, and as Saint Colman’s remains were the first therein deposited, we may probably refer his death and burial, to that very year, in which the church foundations had been laid.

    His cognomen of the Thirsty was obtained, not from his being often obliged to satisfy such a distressing want of nature; but, owing to that heroic yet misconceived resolution, whereby he overcome natural requirements, even at the sacrifice of his own life. What an example of abstemiousness ought not this be for many unhappy drunkards, who end their days prematurely, when indulging in habits of intoxication, and in the frequent use of spirituous liquors. That wholesome beverage, pure water, is abundant, especially in “Erinn of the streams,” and it, at least, can be obtained free from charge or hindrance. It usually promotes health, and it can hardly be used to excess by any of our people, while it never can deprive them of reason or sense.

    Notwithstanding his exemption from rule, for grave moral and physical reasons, yet, it is to be lamented, that a conscientious and good man, in the present instance, mistook the nature of his engagements, when by a moderate draught of this pure element, he might have saved a valuable and an exemplary life.

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  • Saint Muicin of Moyne, March 4

    March 4 is the commemoration of Saint Muicin of Moyne.  The 17th-century hagiologist, Father John Colgan, was convinced that Saint Muicin of Moyne was a disciple of Saint Patrick. This view, however, was not without its own difficulties, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    ST. MUKNA, MUICIN, OR MUKINUS, BISHOP OF MAIGHIN, OR MOYNE, COUNTY OF MAYO.

    Colgan and the Bollandists have some notices of this saint, at the 4th day of March… There is no account, regarding the time, in which St. Mucna or Muckin, of Magin, in Tyrawly, lived. Although we find him classed, by Colgan, among St. Patrick’s disciples; still, there is not the least foundation for an assertion, that he was made bishop, by our Irish Apostle. This may be gleaned from all omission in the Tripartite—the only authority cited for this occasion—which only makes mention of Muckna, not as having been placed by St. Patrick, a bishop, over Domnach-mor church, in Tyrawly, but, rather as having been buried, in that place. It has been identified with Moyne, in the parish of Killala, barony of Tirawley, and county of Mayo. The foundation of a church is supposed to have been laid there, about A.D. 440, when the Apostle prosecuted his successful mission, in that western district. It seems, Colgan adopted an opinion, that Muckna ruled over this church as a bishop, but, without any sufficient foundation for referring it to St. Patrick’s time; and, then finding himself puzzled about the period when this supposed disciple lived, he threw out a conjecture, that such appointment took place, A.D. 470. He assigns as a reason for this conjecture, that the Tripartite seems to indicate, by the term “est,” that Muckna was alive, about the year 520; for, this has been very uncritically considered, as the period when the Tripartite Life had been written. Yet, nothing is more common in some of St. Patrick’s Lives than to use est for requiescit; so that, the meaning of the passage now quoted may be, that Mucna’s remains were at Domnach-mor; still, at what time they were deposited there, we have no means left for discovering. Apparently, for no more sufficient reason, than not to make Mucna live too long, Colgan affixed this appointment as bishop there, to the year 470, so that he might probably be living, about A.D. 520. An entry appears, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 4th of March, which thus reads: “Mucini Maighni.” Marianus O’Gorman, also, commemorates him. In the Manuscript of Florarius, we find an entry of Mokinus, Abbas, at the same date. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, we read, about Muicin, of Maighin, as having a festival on this day.

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  • Saint Mo-sacra, Abbot of Saggard, March 3

     

    The Irish calendars at March 3 commemorate Saint Sacer or Mo-sacra, abbot of Saggard, County Dublin. The Martyrology of Donegal records:

    3. F. QUINTO NONAS MARTII. 3.

    MOHSACCRA, Abbot, of Cluain-eidhneach in Laoighis, and of Tigh Sacra, in the vicinity of Tamlacht, and of Fionn-mhagh in Fotharta.

    O’Hanlon records what is known of him:

    This saint, variously named Sacer, Mo-Sacer, Mo-Sacra, Mothacra and Moacra, has his Acts given by Colgan, and more briefly still by the Bollandists. He was the son of Senan, son to Luachan, son of Roer, son to Loga Lethanglais, son of Conall Anglonn, son to Eochad, son of Fieg, son to Factna, son of Senchad, son to Olild, son of Maelcroc, son to Roderic, King of Ireland. He appears to have been called Sacer, from a Latin word, which expresses holiness of life, by which he had been distinguished; and, to this cognomen, the endearing term, Mo, was prefixed. However, Sacer not being a name in use amongst the ancient Irish, we must suppose it, as only secondary to a previous and more national one. This holy abbot appears to have flourished, before or about the middle of the seventh century, if we are to rely upon accounts, furnished by our Martyrologists, regarding his genealogy.

    He erected a monastery, afterwards called after him, Tegh-Sacra, or “the house of Sacer” and, over this foundation, he presided as abbot. The place is now known as Saggard, a small village, and the head of a parish, seven Irish miles S.W. from the Castle of Dublin. The site of Saggard’s ancient monastery and chapel is said to have been on a rise of the Dublin mountains, about one mile beyond the modern village. Saggard, at first bore the name of Tassagard. It is related, that Mo-Sacra also governed, for some time, Finn-magh monastery, at Fotharta, within the province of Leinster.

    [A parish at Tomhaggard, County Wexford, believes that its locality can be identified with Finn-magh:

    As is the case with many parishes and townlands, we find the name of Tomhaggard, as it is known to day, rendered in several forms in ancient charters and deeds. The earliest name of the place was probably “Fion-magh”, which name is mentioned in one or two old documents.

    The parish, however, derives its present title from Saint Mosacer, who succeeded St. Abban as Abbot of Camross and who, incidentally, was also patron of Saggart in Co. Dublin. Tomhaggard stems from the old spelling of ‘Tomhager’ which, in its uncorrupted form, meant “Tomb of St. Mosacer”. There is no extant tradition relating to the exact position of the burial-place of this saint in Tomhaggard. St. Mosacer died in 650 and the local patron day was on March 3rd.]

    Mo-Sacra assisted at a synod held, in the reign of Comgall, King of Ireland, about the year 695, and under the presidency of Flann, Archbishop of Armagh. At this council over forty bishops and abbots were present. Colgan had a copy of the Acts of that synod. Our saint is thought, also, to have been abbot, at Clonenagh ; but, it is more than probable, a Mosacra who had been abbot lived there, at a later period. He appears to have been confounded with our saint, in the Calendar of Cashel, which states, that Mo sacra lived, in the time of Neill Glandubh, King of Ireland. Mo-Sacra of Saggard must have died, however, during or before the reign of that monarch’s great-grandfather; since, he is mentioned, in the Festilogy of St. Oengus, which was written, after the year 792, or during Aedh Oirdnidhe’s reign. The festival of our saint was kept, on the 3rd of March, as appears from the Feilire of St. Oengus. His name is entered, at the same date, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, as Moshacra mac Senain of Tigh Thacra. The Calendars of Cashel, of Marianus O’Gorman and of Maguire have their relative notices regarding him. In the Martyrology of Donegal is set down on this day, Mohsaccra, Abbot, of Cluain-eidhneach or Clonenagh, in Laoighis, or Leix, and of Tigh-Sacra, or Saggart, in the vicinity of Tamhlacht, and of Fionn-mhagh in Fotharta. The Kalendar of Drummond, at the 3rd of March, notices the Natalis of Mo-Sacro and of Cele.
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